Following their successful debut with the distinctly styled Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Surgent Studios is making a significant pivot. Their next project, titled Dead Take, delves into the realm of psychological horror, aiming to deliver a tense and atmospheric experience by employing a rather unique mechanic: integrating and tasking players with splicing live-action footage.
Set within the confines of a Hollywood mansion, Dead Take promises to explore the less glamorous, arguably darker underbelly of fame. This is an ambitious undertaking for any studio, let alone one shifting genres so dramatically. However, an initial look at the performances of the game`s lead actors provides a compelling reason for optimism.
Acclaimed Talent Steps into the Macabre
The game features prominent actors Ben Starr, known for his work in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the highly praised Final Fantasy XVI, and Neil Newbon, widely recognized for his roles in titles like Detroit: Become Human and the immensely popular Baldur`s Gate 3. Both actors are stepping into roles for the live-action segments central to Dead Take.
Exclusive glimpses into their characters were recently shared, presented intriguingly as snippets from fictional audition tapes. These short clips begin innocuously enough, showing the actors, in character, nervously introducing themselves. It`s a familiar scenario, deliberately mundane. Yet, these moments are sharply punctuated by abrupt intrusions of disturbing, supernatural elements.
Unsettling Performances Hint at Deep Horror
For fans accustomed to Newbon`s distinct voice work, particularly his charismatic performance as Astarion in Baldur`s Gate 3, hearing him adopt a deep American accent for Dead Take`s character, Chase Lowry, is an initial point of surprise. However, this vocal transformation is quickly overshadowed by the unsettling final seconds of his tape, where the facade of a normal audition shatters.
Similarly, Ben Starr, playing Vinny Monroe, delivers a performance in his snippet that quickly moves from hesitant self-introduction to something far more visceral and disturbing. These brief previews effectively utilize the format of audition tapes to build a false sense of reality before plunging into the game`s horror elements, leaving a lasting, uneasy impression.
The decision by Surgent Studios to leverage live-action footage and cast actors with such notable performance backgrounds, particularly those acclaimed for their ability to convey complex characters (or, in Newbon`s case, charmingly sinister ones), suggests a serious commitment to the psychological horror genre. While shifting gears from a vibrant action-adventure to a dark, atmospheric thriller is no small feat, the potential showcased by Starr and Newbon in these early looks certainly indicates that Dead Take is a project worth watching for those with a penchant for the unsettling and the unusual in gaming.
Callum Darby